We had a great turnout tonight with lots of new faces.

For the 3rd year in a row, here are the TeamCamp predictions for 2012:

Brad – Responsive websites that respond to either mobile or desktop applications. This will create more work for developers but will save companies money overall. Prediction 2: The Facebook IPO will make it one of the most over valued companies.

Sylvain – Prediction 1: we’ll finally see the emergence of software as a service (SAS), i.e. people will buy terminals rather than computers and run apps on the cloud. Prediction 2: Within the next 15 years there will be a total collapse of the economy worldwide and currency as we know it will cease to exist. I guess we’ll need to wait a few years to see if this will happen.

Ian – The global meltdown comes to Ottawa next year and there will be across the board cuts in the federal government (merry Christmas to you too Ian!). Ian cites cuts in DND and the elimination of the Wheat Board as leading indicators. Other indicators: the economy in general is suffering and housing pricing is 3 times higher than in the US.  However, as a result of all of this there will be a rise in entrepreneurship (ok, we feel better now, I think).

JC - The current multiplication of social networks significantly increases the signal to noise ratio which makes them, at best not as useful as they could be and at worst, very distracting. We’ll see the emergence of independent “social filters”, as opposed to the ones (built by and for the benefit of the major players) that currently dictate what gets into our news feed. This will hopefully bring better ways of reducing the social clutter while keeping it meaningful and human.  Also, Apple TV with integrated screen etc. will be launched and will be Siri enabled.

Zeeshan – Web apps will continue to proliferate despite the popularity of mobile apps. Prediction 2: Windows will launch an app store but it will not be successful.

Alain – TeamCamp will explode into a massive enterprise pumping out 100s, no 1000s, no 10,000s of new startups all over the world. And, as a result, The Code Factory will need more space. Now, the real prediction: The automobile industry will finally get with it and introduce truly innovative (and useful) technology in vehicles. Prediction 3: someone will invent a technology to make your voice sound like anyone else’s voice, an actor for example. (It sounds like you better patent that one Alain)

Christopher – Paying with your mobile phone will take off. Bitcoin will do really well.

Chris – I’m going out on a limb this year: Microsoft will start to make a comeback (gulp!).

All of our predictions started to get a little off the wall at that point. So, I guess we’ll have to see what happens next year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

- Chris